Hot Yogurt Soup with Barley and Cilantro

Name: Hot Yogurt Soup with Barley and Cilantro
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup barley, washed; 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock; Salt; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons water; 3 cups plain lowfat yogurt; Freshly ground pepper; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; Fresh lemon juice to taste; For garnish: paper-thin lemon slices

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated Nov. 15, 2022

Hot Yogurt Soup with Barley and Cilantro — Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(32)
Comments: Read comments

In the Middle East, yogurt is used in hot dishes as well as cold. To stabilize the yogurt so that it doesn’t curdle when it cooks, you stir in a little cornstarch. This simple soup is both comforting and light, and it’s good at any time of year. At this time of year I’d serve it warm but not simmering hot.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4 to 6

1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1medium onion, finely chopped
2garlic cloves, minced
½cup barley, washed
3cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
Salt
1tablespoon cornstarch
2tablespoons water
3cups plain lowfat yogurt
Freshly ground pepper
½cup chopped cilantro
Fresh lemon juice to taste
For garnish: paper-thin lemon slices

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the barley and stir together until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the stock and salt to taste (depending on the saltiness of the stock), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk into the yogurt. Off the heat, whisk this mixture into the soup. Return to low heat and bring to a bare simmer, stirring. Do not boil. Add salt to taste and a generous amount of pepper. Stir in the cilantro, and season with fresh lemon juice if desired (or squeeze a few drops over each bowl). Serve hot or warm, garnished with thin rounds of lemon.

Ratings

4 out of 5

32 user ratings

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Comments

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Jenny1 year ago

My mother in law is Turkish and a wonderful home cook, she taught me how to make hot yogurt soup variations that I enjoy. A few additions I like to add: a beaten egg to the soup for thickening, you can also use flour, garbanzo beans. For spices, I omit the cilantro and instead I top with dried mint and urfa pepper (isot). Another flavor enhancer I’ve used is drizzling hot browned butter or vinegar with sautéed garlic.

kg2 years ago

I would give this three stars, but when garnished with chili crisp instead of lemon, it is totally worth five stars.

emcooks2 years ago

We did not like this, the flavors did not meld well. The hint about Yogurt stabilized with cornstarch was helpful but I would not make this again.

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